Today we answer all these questions with some of our best advice on homeowners insurance claims and explain how to deal with a homeowners insurance adjuster from the insurance company.
once you have decided to file an insurance claim, it is important to understand the next steps in the process to properly handle dealing with the insurance adjuster and negotiating your insurance claim, in order to obtain a claim settlement just for his loss. .
Reading: How to deal with home insurance adjuster
what is a home insurance adjuster?
Your insurance company employs insurance claims adjusters. When you file a homeowners insurance claim, the insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to your home to inspect your loss and damage. An adjuster’s goal is to evaluate your claim and decide how much money the insurance company should pay.
It is important to note that the homeowners insurance adjuster is a salaried employee or independent contractor of your insurance company. Like any good employee, the adjuster’s goal is to protect the insurance company’s bottom line. From a financial standpoint, insurance companies want to pay the least amount of money that they are legally required to pay.
An insurance company may call their adjuster an analyst, a representative, or some other title. however, whatever they call your adjuster, their primary goal is often the same: to evaluate your claim and close it as quickly as possible, for as little money as possible. this often leads homeowners to disagree with the insurance adjuster and suspect that the home insurance adjuster’s estimate is too low.
If you need help dealing with an insurance adjuster or getting a fair assessment and settlement of your claim, a licensed public adjuster can provide crucial expertise and assistance. schedule a free consultation
how to negotiate with your home insurance adjuster
You shouldn’t feel intimidated when negotiating with your home insurance company’s adjuster. Many insurance companies give a low initial offer because they expect the policyholder to negotiate or hire a public adjuster. they may make you a low opening offer assuming you decline.
See also: How to negotiate with car insurance adjusters about car total loss
Delivering a low opening offer is a win-win situation for an insurance company. if you decline, they may have another, more reasonable offer. if you accept it, the insurance company avoids a lengthy negotiation process and saves money.
There are two important things to remember when negotiating with your insurance company’s homeowners insurance adjuster:
Your insurance company is legally required to act in good faith when you purchase a home insurance policy from your insurance company, you are entering into a mutual contract. That contract states that your insurance company must cover certain types of damage. If an insurance company refuses to cover certain damages that should be covered, intentionally delays, or fails to thoroughly investigate your claim, then the company may be acting in bad faith. insurance companies acting in bad faith are liable for lawsuits. Lawsuits can be very expensive for insurance companies and they will usually go to great lengths to avoid a lawsuit.
you have the advantage
A home insurance adjuster typically handles multiple insurance claims on a weekly basis. While home insurance adjusters may use underhanded tactics, you have the upper hand because you only have one claim to handle: your own claim. you can be the expert on your own claim. Take advantage of that expert knowledge as you negotiate with your home insurance adjuster.
what happens when negotiations fail?
In a perfect world, your home insurance adjuster would offer a fair and reasonable settlement based on the damage to your home, and you would accept that offer and move forward with restoration, recovery and repairs.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and home insurance negotiations can quickly become complicated. It’s quite common for people to disagree and feel the homeowners insurance adjuster’s estimate is too low. In this case, you need to decide what to do when you disagree with the insurance adjuster.
See also: Do you get kicked off parents insurance when married
You don’t have to accept the first offer your insurance company makes. however, if the insurance company continues to deny your claim or refuses to cover certain damages, then it may be time to decide between hiring a public adjuster or an attorney.
If you’re feeling lost, being taken advantage of, or need help determining the next best steps for your insurance claim, let us know and we’ll be happy to help. schedule a free consultation
tips for dealing with a home insurance adjuster
Here are some other tips to remember when dealing with a homeowners insurance adjuster and secret tactics to watch out for:
- avoid giving the adjuster a recorded statement
- avoid talking to the adjuster unless necessary and consider having a friend or better yet your attorney or public adjuster help you when you talk to insurance adjusters
- Avoid signing any insurance adjuster document until you have fully reviewed and understood everything in it
- don’t settle your insurance claim too quickly
- Consider hiring a public adjuster or attorney if negotiations are deadlocked or you believe your insurance company is acting in bad faith
- remember that what you say can hurt you; insurance adjusters have a long history of negotiating claims with clients, and a single recorded statement can affect your final insurance payout (this is most common for personal injury claims and car accident cases, but can also be a problem in cases of homeowners insurance)
- don’t go overboard with your negotiation tactics; when the adjuster is from your own insurance company, you must cooperate with that adjuster
- if your insurance company’s payment offer seems unreasonably low, then ask questions to get more justification for the low settlement amount; ask them to detail the damage and provide the facts behind their numbers
- once an agreement is finally reached, be sure to get it in writing; an adjuster may promise one thing during negotiations and then return to a previous offer for the final settlement
In general, remember that the goal of the insurance company adjuster is not to give money away to everyone who asks for it. instead, your goal is more likely to be: Settle your claim as quickly as possible, for the lowest amount possible. the insurance company adjuster is not on your side.
Consider hiring a public adjuster to help handle the home insurance adjustment
Many policyholders hire a public insurance adjuster to handle the claims process. A public adjuster is an insurance professional who works on behalf of the insurance company, similar to how the insurance company adjuster works on behalf of the insurer.
A good public adjuster will work diligently to manage your insurance claim from start to finish, working hard to ensure you get the maximum compensation possible under your insurance policy contract. public adjusters have the experience needed for complicated insurance claim situations and know the secret tactics used by insurance adjusters and insurance companies to reduce settlement offers.
Of course, public adjusters don’t work for free. Adjusters typically charge a set fee of 5% to 15% of the final settlement amount, depending on the size of the claim and the experience of the adjuster. however, homeowners who hire public insurance adjusters have been known to get settlements 70% or more above the insurance company’s initial offer; therefore, many agree that it is a smart and worthwhile investment.
If you feel overwhelmed dealing with your insurance company’s adjuster, consider hiring a public adjuster. can help alleviate an immense amount of time, stress, and confusion while helping to ensure you get the maximum compensation from your home insurance claim.
See also: How long does it take to get insurance claim check